Assemblable multiple top spinning device and apparatus



June 17, 1969 R. L. NEILSON 3,449,859

ASSEMBLABLE MULTIPLE TOP SPINNING DEVICE AND APPARATUS Filed March 7. 1967 Sheet L INVENTOR ROGERLJV'lLSO/V BY W q- 1 ATTORNEYS June 17, 1969 R. L. NEILSON 3,449,859

ASSEMBLABLE MULTIPLE TOP SPINNING DEVICE AND APPARATUS Filed March 7. 1967 Sheet 3- of .2

IHL Hll"IHHIIllllllllllllllll IIIIIIIIIHIIIIII' HHI F 7 INVENTOR BY Z ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,449,859 ASSEMBLABLE MULTIPLE TOP SPINNING DEVICE AND APPARATUS Roger L. Neilson, 70 Trafalgar Drive, Shirley, NY. 11967 Filed Mar. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 621,285 Int. Cl. A63h 1/04 US. CI. 4667 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention is directed to a readily assemblable multiple top spinning device removably mounted actuatable by a resilient flexible length interconnecting the frame and spindle. Tops having gear teeth are mountable beneath the frame, a part of the gearing of the tops interdigitatable with a portion of the gearing on the spindle, each top mounted within an opening provided along a slit in the frame wherein each slit and opening on the frame is provided with closed spaced apart companion slit. The tops may be provided with indicia either integral to the tops or by the provision of supplements such as horizontal overlays.

The present invention relates to a readily assemblable multiple top spinning device and apparatus adapted to enable single and/or simultaneous spinning of a plurality of tops.

Many devices have been known in the past to provide for the transmission of a revolutionary force to tops so as to provide for top spinning, In my prior invention, US. Patent No. 2,633,664 there was disclosed an apparatus for simultaneously spinning a plurality of revoluble tops whereby tops were, upon application of a downwardly directed pressure, sprung free and spun. While such device described a marked advance in the art, as with devices of the past it was spring wound and provided for spring action to throw the tops free of the device.

As in prior devices, the life of the spinning apparatus bore a direct correlation-to the resiliency of the spring. The spring was preferably permanently mounted within the apparatus, or so mounted as to require marked manual dexterity for its replacement and as such the wearing out of spring resiliency generally resulted in the abandonment of the device by a user.

The mounting of the tops themselves onto the apparatus for spinning and ejection additionally presented a problem in that either special sockets were requisite and/ or means were required to pull the tops free of the apparatus.

According to the present invention a readily assemblable multiple top spinning device is provided having a frame and geared spindle arrangement, the spindle removably mountable with the frame and actuatable by a resilient flexible length interconnecting the frame and spindle. A plurality of tops having gear teeth thereon are mounted beneath the frame, a portion of the gearing of the tops interdigitating with a portion of the gearing on the spindle, each top mounted within an opening provided along a slit in the frame wherein each slit and opening on the frame is provided with a closely spaced apart companion 3,449,859 Patented June 17, 1969 slit and preferably substantially parallel, providing flexibility to the top mounting and allowing for the spinning force of each top to self eject each top from the frame. The tops may be provided with indicia or supplemental material so that they may serve game functions in a similar manner to dice or the like.

Although such novel feature or features believed to be characteristic of the invention are pointed out in the claims, the invention and the manner in which it may be carried out may be further understood by reference to the description following and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of a device of the present Invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a frame of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a spindle embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the spindle of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of a top of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a top overlay.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of another embodiment of the spindle of the present invention.

Referring now to the figures in greater detail, where like reference numbers denote like parts in the various figures.

As best shown in FIGS. 1-4, the device of the present invention comprises a frame 1 of a substantially flat preferably circular configuration having a centrally located housing 2 thereon, the housing 2 preferably being hollow and cylindrically shaped with a top 3 thereon, the top 3 being integral thereto or separably affixed to the housing 2. A guide opening 4 is provided in the top 3 and is adapted to receive the upper section of the spindle 5 as hereinafter more fully described.

A cut-away area 7 is provided along two opposing vertical walls of the housing 2 the cut-away area 7 preferably beginning at the juncture of the housing 2 with the upper face 8 of the frame 1 and extending vertically upward along the housing 2.

At substantially opposite ends of, and outwardly spaced apart from said cut-away areas 7, the upper face 8 is provided with mounting blocks 6, the mounting blocks 6 aligned so as to be in line with the cut-away areas 7, but as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that each mounting block 6 be offset with respect to the other.

A flanged lip 9 may be provided on the top of each mounting block 6 to provide for better mounting thereon of the elastic flexible length 10.

Ratchet protrusions 11 depend vertically from the bottom face 12 of the frame 1, the ratchet protrusions 11 surrounding a substantially circular opening 13 in the frame 1, the Opening 13 interconnected to the hollow housing 2.

A series of slits 14, 15 in pairs are provided along the periphery of the frame 1, the slit 14 having an opening 16 adapted to accept the spindle portion 17 of each top 18.

3 The slits 14, 15 are substantially parallel and each pair of slits 14, 15 is closely spaced apart providing resiliency to the portion 19 of the frame 1 therebetween.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the spindle 5 generally comprises a vertical member 20 substantially bullet-shaped having a vertical slot 21 along a part of its length. A horizontally mounted circular gear wheel 22 is provided at the base area of the vertical member 20 the gear wheel 22 having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the frame 1 and is preferably spaced apart from the slot 21. At the juncture of the vertical member 20 and the gear wheel 22 and upon the upper face of the gear Wheel 22, the gear wheel is provided with ratchet spurs 23 in circular arrangement adapted to interdigitate with the ratchet protrusions 11 on the bottom face 12 of the frame 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, a winding mechanism such as by an elongation of the vertical member 20 extending beneath the gear wheel 22 and lateral flanges 24 thereon may be provided as an integral part of the spindle 5.

The spindle 5 is assemblable with the frame 1 by insertion of the vertical member 20 through opening 13 in the frame 1 so that the upper portion of the vertical member 20 passes through the guide opening 3 in the housing 2 and projects therethrough. As shown in FIG. 3, a guide collar may be provided within the housing 2 for the vertical member 20.

The slot 21 on the vertical member 20 is thereby positioned so as to be visible through the cut-away portions 7 in the housing 2. The elastic flexible length such as a rubber band or the like is threaded through the cut away areas 7 and slot 21 and attached to the two mounting blocks 6.

Where the elastic length 10 is in the nature of an endless length such as a rubber band the flanged lip 9 on the mounting blocks 6 and the offset relationship of the blocks 6 is sufiicient to maintain the length 10. If a nonendless length is employed separate mounting means (not shown) may be readily employed.

As mounted, the frame 1 and spindle 5 arrangement is so aligned that the ratchet protrusions 11 of the frame 1 are in vertical alignment with the ratchet spurs 23 of the spindle 5. Although the ratchet protrusions 11 are shown as part of the frame 1 and the ratchet spurs 23 as part of the spindle 5 the relationship of these parts may be readily reversed.

As shown in FIG. 7, the top 10 has a substantially conical base portion 26 and a vertical spindle 17 centrally located therein. A portion of the vertical spindle 17 is provided with a circular gear 27 preferably of a greater diameter than the spindle 17 a portion of the circular gear 27 adapted to mate with a portion of the gearing on the gear wheel 22.

In operation, the frame 1 and spindle 5 are assembled as aforementioned. The spindle 5 is rotated such as by rotation of the lateral flanges 24 winding the elastic length 10 about the vertical member to a taut position. The upward pressure of such rotation engages the ratchet protrusions 11 within the ratchet spurs 23 thereby locking the spindle 5 in wound position to the frame 1.

The top 13 or tops 18 depending upon whether or not multiple spinning is desired is then positioned beneath the frame 1 so that a portion of the circular gear 27 interdigitates with a portion of the gear wheel 22 and the spindle 17 of the top is located with one of the openings 16 in one of the slits 14.

The size of the opening 16 is such that it will firmly hold the top 18 mounted therein so that the top 18 will not fall out when the tops 18 are in vertical position.

The ratchet locking is released by the exertion of a downward force on the top of the vertical member 20 of the spindle 5 thereby releasing the interdigitation of the ratchet protrusions 11 and ratchet spurs 23 freeing the spindle 18 so that it will rotate as the elastic length 10 unwinds.

The rotation of the spindle 5 and its gear wheel 22 is transmitted through circular gears 27 to the top 18 which rotates within the frame opening 16.

The spinning of the top 18 is sufficient to cause the release of the top 18 from the opening 16, the slits 14, 15, giving lateral resilience to the frame portions 19.

In such manner, a multiple of tops, depending upon the surface area and number of slit 14, 15 pairs and openings 16 in the frame 1 and the number of tops 18 employed, can be independently spun.

As shown in FIG. 8, a hexagonal overlay 28 may be provided for the top 18 adapted to be inserted so as to lie horizontally flat over the conical portion 26 of the top 18, and depending upon which side of the hexagon comes to rest upon cessation of the spin chance determination in a manner as employed with dice can be determined, and the tops 18 employed for game purposes.

In a like manner the base portion of the top can be hexagonal or otherwise shaped and/or provided with indicia which can be employed for game purposes giving for example certain game moves, points, instructions etc. to a player depending upon which of the tops spun spins the longest, or comes to rest at a certain angle.

As shown in FIG. 9, the spindle 5 may be segmentable having the upper section 29 of the vertical section 20 removable therefrom and readily mountable and removable from the vertical section 20 such as by the provision of vertical rails 30 mating within a channel 31 and stop 32 arrangement in the vertical member 20. In this manner, the winding mechanism may be located on the upper section 29 of the vertical member 20 in lieu of its base location as shown in FIG. 5, and as shown in FIG. 9 such winding mechanism 33 additionally acts as pushing surface for the exertion of a downward pressure to actuate the wound device. In either embodiment, ready assembly and disassembly is provided wherein components may be readily interchanged in cases of wear, breakage, etc.

Having thus described certain forms of the invention in some detail, what is claimed is:

1. An assemblade multiple top spinnuing device for simultaneously independently spinning a plurality of tops comprising a frame having a vertically disposed substantially hollow housing, a spindle, said spindle including a gear wheel having peripheral gear teeth and a vertical stem adapted to fit within said housing, a top, said top having gear teeth, a portion of the gearing of said top adapted to interdigitate with a portion of said gear wheel, wherein the improvement comprises, a pair of opposed cut-away areas in said housing extending vertically upward alone said housing, a slot in said vertical stem adapted to be aligned between said cut-away areas, mounting means on said frame in line with, but spaced apart from each said cut-away area, an elastic flexible length adapted to be mounted on said mounting means wherein said flexible length passes through said slot and maintaining means on said frame adapted to maintain said top in vertical dependency on said frame.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said top maintaining means includes a first slit on said frame, a second slit on said frame and an opening in said second slit adapted to receive the spindle of said top therein.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein a plurality of first and second slit pairs are provided along the periphery of said frame, each said first slit substantially parallel to and closely spaced apart from its mated second slit providing resiliency to the portion of said frame therebetween.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a pair of mounting blocks said mounting blocks being olfset with respect to each other.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein said flexible length is endless.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said frame further includes ratchet spurs and said spindle includes mated ratchet spurs adapted to co-act with said frame ratchet spurs to prevent the rotation of said spindle when said ratchet spurs are in active engagement.

7. The invention of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a guide collar for said vertical stem.

'8. The invention of claim 1 wherein said spindle further includes winding means on the end of said vertical stem.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein said vertical stem of said spindle is segmented.

10. The invention of claim 1 wherein said top further includes a removable overlay, said removable overlay adapted to be mounted in horizontal position on said top.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. 10 R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

